Lynchs study of the Vaishnavite Hindu pilgrimage to Mathura city, called the caurasi kos parikrama (circumambulation of Braj) or ban yatra (forest pilgrimage), is based on sixteen months of interviews, participant observation, and analysis of printed materials. Describing the stations, structure, and root paradigm of the pilgrimage, the author reflects on the interconnections between the natural world and the emotional experience of the pilgrim. He concludes with some general critiques of Western, academic stereotypes of Hinduism as otherworldly, ascetic, or primarily metaphorical and visual.